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Me and my mother are planning a 7 day Christmas cruise this December to the Mexican Riviera

Many people have told me Princess will have better food, better service overall, but Carnival appears to have funner activities, and a more energized vibe onboard. The 'Carnival Miracle' also has better member reviews then the 'Sapphire Princess' and a better room.

The more fun energetic vibe on Carnival appeals to me a lot more then the more formal Princess but I've heard many horror stories from Carnival.

Is it worth choosing the fun over the service?

We went within months on Mexican Riviera cruises on both Carnival and Princess. One big difference was that since they were doing Mazatlan both cruises spent two nights in Cabo. The difference was that Carnival sailed out to sea after the first night and came back the next morning. Princess spent the night in the harbor so if you wanted to go ashore for late night fun you could on Princess but not on Carnival.